How tall do you have to be to be a runway model?

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Multiple sources estimate the standard height of a female runway model to be at least 5 feet 9 inches. However, there is no official height requirement, as designers and agencies choose models based on a number of subjective factors.

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The dimensions of the model body is a controversial subject, as models are conventionally taller and thinner than the averages for their sex. Although critics warn that this encourages unrealistic and unhealthy standards of beauty, proponents argue that the model body serves functional and artistic purposes. For example, the limited variety of runway models' builds allows any model to potentially wear any piece of a designer's clothing with minimal tailoring. The body also serves the aesthetic purpose of focusing the audience's attention on elements of fashion, rather than of the body underneath.